The worldwide Armenian Church celebrates the 1,700th Anniversary of the Consecration of the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin in 2003. In 303 A.D., St. Gregory the Illuminator, on the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God, consecrated the new cathedral and dedicated it to St. Mary.
Under the presidency of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, a select committee of clergy and laity was appointed last year to organize the events dedicated to celebrating the jubilee anniversary of the consecration of Armenia’s first cathedral and Mother See. The chairman of the committee is His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern).
The second full session of the committee convened on January 24, in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, where the schedule of major events was finalized. The schedule was then approved by His Holiness and the Supreme Spiritual Council, during their regular session on January 25.
Among the major events are pilgrimages to Holy Etchmiadzin, a meeting of representatives from all worldwide Armenian Church Dioceses, an Inaugural Armenian Church Youth Organization (ACYO) International General Assembly, an International Symposium, a retreat for the Members of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin, and various publications dedicated to this anniversary.
Throughout the course of the year, separate diocesan pilgrimages will be organized from countries and regions throughout the world. Upon the arrival of each diocesan group of faithful, a special Divine Liturgy of Oath will be celebrated in the Mother Cathedral by each respective Primate with the participation of that diocese’s deacons, choir-members and faithful. Each Diocese is in the process of finalizing their dates to travel to Armenia. Please check with your Diocesan headquarters to determine the pilgrimage date for your diocese.
The first Divine Liturgy of a diocesan pilgrimage group will be this Sunday, February 1, and begins symbolically with the Diocese of Armavir. The Diocese of Armavir has within her jurisdiction the historical city and former capital of Vagharshapat, where the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin is located. It was in Vagharshapat that St. Gregory had his vision of Christ descending with a golden hammer, indicating the site where the new Mother Cathedral of the Armenian Nation was to be built. The celebrant for the Divine Liturgy this Sunday will be His Grace Bishop Sion Adamian, Primate of the Diocese of Armavir.
The Inaugural General Assembly of the International Armenian Church Youth Organization will coincide with a youth pilgrimage from July 1 through 10. Youth representatives from dioceses throughout the world will convene in the Mother See to begin the work of bringing all of the diverse church youth groups under the umbrella of a unified organization and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The pilgrimage will bring the youth together in the churches, monasteries and holy shrines of Armenia and Artsakh.
Scheduled for September, an International Symposium will convene in Armenia dedicated to the history, architecture, patristics and ritual-life of the Armenian Church.
A meeting of representatives from the global Armenian Dioceses is scheduled to take lace in the Mother See from October 30 through November 2.
In conjunction with the activities planned for the 1700th Anniversary of the Consecration of the Cathedral, a meeting and retreat for the members of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin will be held from July 23 through 27 at the Vazkenian Seminary of Lake Sevan. Participating in the retreat will be all of the young members (Abeghas, Vardapets and Dzayraguyn Vardapets) of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin, dispersed throughout the world.
On the occasion of the Jubilee Year of 2003, a series of albums, books and guides will also be published, dedicated to the history, art, architecture and sacred mystery of the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin.
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